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Thankful for The Mount Dear Archbishop Beltran: We want to share our story of how God, through the people of Mount St. Mary High School, has helped our family. We are cradle Catholics who currently attend St. Monica Parish in Edmond. We have six children ages 4 - 18 and strive to live our faith in all aspects of our lives: inviting God into our family life, work, and school; dressing modestly; abstaining from inappropriate media; sacrificing for the sake of others; and offering intentions for many different things. While natural for us, these practices and attitudes are often bewildering to those in the secular world around us. This can sometimes make it tough to blend in and be accepted, especially for a teenager. Our oldest son began high school at a public school in one of the northwest suburbs of Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, he was physically and verbally abused by other students. This led to unhappiness, frustration, and deep depression. We struggled for two years trying to “make it work” but when our son attempted suicide, we knew we had to make a change even though it was nearing Spring Break and it would be hard to transfer grades and make new friends. We visited three private high schools in Oklahoma City. The first two schools did little to help us, expressing more concern over the difficulty of making the change mid-semester than for my son’s situation. Mount St. Mary was the last school on the list. It was located 23 miles from our home and in an unfamiliar part of Oklahoma City which would mean putting a 16-year old on the Hefner Parkway (Speedway) during rush hour traffic twice a day! Not a real favorable option. We kept an open mind, however, and when we pulled into the circle drive off Shartel and saw the huge, old, gorgeous building called “The Mount” we were awe-struck. We walked up the steep stairs unable to see what was at the top of the stairwell. When we hit the top step, we were greeted by an 8-foot wooden cross draped in purple linen in celebration of Lent. We felt at home. Our son relaxed. Our eyes watered, he smiled. As we continued down the hall towards the school office we found to our delight the school chapel. The Tabernacle was right there! Alive and well in the front and center of this high school! The small chapel had an altar, stained glass windows and pews. Very old, simple and inviting— just like, Jesus, Himself. We were warmly welcomed by the administrative staff we met. After Dr. Nowka, the school’s guidance counselor, asked us “Why now?” and our son told his story, she immediately got up from her desk, walked around, hugged our son, and said, “We will take care of you. We will find a way to make this work.” It was an answer to our prayers. Nearly two years have passed since that first encounter with the people of The Mount. My son bounced back to his old self. He made new friends quickly, joined the basketball team and participated in other activities with fun and enthusiasm, and our second son has since joined his older brother at The Mount. In that time we have found everyone - teachers, coaches, administrators, cafeteria staff, and maintenance crew - to be extremely compassionate. They have a genuine interest in each child and their family. We have found the teachers at The Mount to be tremendous role models for our kids, especially the male teachers/coaches who have been so influential in molding our two boys. The teachers – and in fact, the administrators and others students and parents — don’t care what a student’s clothes or shoes look like; whether or not they wear makeup, or which kids drive to school or get dropped off. They treat each student as someone special. There is a relationship, dialogue and trust between educator, student, and parents. One of our favorite things to do is to attend The Mount’s monthly all-school Mass and witness the spirituality of the student body. They have a tradition at the end of Mass, when a senior student volunteers to give a testimony about his/her faith journey in front of the entire student body. We were there to hear our son give his testimony at the All Saints Day Mass this past November. He told the entire school about his situation of adversity in the public school and detailed his depression and his failed attempt at suicide. He concluded by thanking those who welcomed him to Mount St. Mary for saving his life. So we too give thanks to God for Mount St. Mary, to you, Archbishop Beltran, for your continued support of the school, to the Sisters of Mercy for their century of dedication and prayers, and to the faculty and staff of The Mount for being true witnesses for Christ in the world. For our part, we will continue to support The Mount with our time, talents and treasures because of what it has done for our family. Through our experience we have learned a Catholic school is not defined by bricks and mortar but by the presence of the Holy Spirit acting through caring, committed staff to guide and nurture students spiritually, academically, and socially. In our opinion, Mount St. Mary is the epitome of a Catholic school. We look forward to sending our four younger children there when their time comes. In the meantime, we pray that other families in search of a home for their students, will find their way to The Mount. Sincerely, |